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Subscribe to RSSGeorge Zimmerman, the former neighborhood watch volunteer charged with second-degree murder in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin, was released early Monday from a Florida jail on $150,000 bail. NBC's Kerry Sanders reports.
George Zimmerman’s attorney said Monday that his client’s apology to the family of Trayvon Martin was ill-timed given the family’s previous statements, and he’s sorry if they felt it was insincere.
During his bond hearing last week, Zimmerman addressed Martin’s family directly, saying he was sorry for the loss of their son. Speaking on “CBS This Morning” Monday, attorney Mark O’Mara said he didn’t realize the family would feel the apology came at the wrong time.
“Had I known or been told that that wasn't the time, it wouldn't have happened. So, I apologize for that,” O’Mara said.
Before the hearing, Zimmerman’s camp had reached out to the family to see if he could apologize privately. But Martin’s parents rejected that invitation during a press conference.
“He had a Web page — never apologized there. Had the voicemails we’ve heard — never apologized then,” the family’s attorney, Benjamin Crump, said at a news conference. “So, we feel that you all can conclude for yourselves what motivations there are.”
O’Mara said his client wouldn’t have apologized at the hearing had he seen the press conference.
“My concern is, I didn’t realize that the way that they had responded to me was through a press conference, where they said it was too late or not an appropriate time,” he said.
George Zimmerman released on bail in Trayvon Martin shooting case
At the bond hearing Friday, Zimmerman took the stand and addressed Martin’s parents, saying, “I wanted to say I am sorry for the loss of your son,” adding he didn’t know how old Trayvon was or whether he was armed when he shot him.
O’Mara said the purpose of the apology was to reach out to the family.
Following the hearing, the Martin family's attorney characterized Zimmerman's apology as "insincere."
"The apology was somewhat of a surprise because we had told them this was not the appropriate time, but they just disregarded that, and he went and pandered to the court and the media and gave a very insincere apology," Crump told the media.
Zimmerman was released early on Monday from a Florida county jail on $150,000 bail while awaiting trial for second-degree murder in the shooting death of unarmed teen Martin. One of the conditions imposed for his bail is that he have no contact with Martin’s family.
O’Mara said Monday he still fears for his client’s safety, even though he hasn’t received any serious threats recently.
“We have not had any active threats recently,” he said, adding that he is keeping in touch with law enforcement officials.
Speaking about the recently released image showing Zimmerman’s bloodied head, O’Mara said it is “very compelling to support that there was an altercation,” but he is, for now, unsure where it’ll fit in his client’s defense.
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another thing...why did the media show trayvons younger picture ...we all were upset when this happened to a smaller younger trayvon...I was so upset ...i was ready to pronounce judgement as well without knowing the facts...then when we saw the real trayvon we realized how zimmerman could have mistaken him for a man who was commiting crimes in that area....he was larger...younger even has nothing to do with commiting crimes..if trayvon had been smaller zimmerman may not have even noticed him or would have yelled at him to go home or something like that...and if zimmerman were up to no good ...why call the police..and ask their advice or help...he was doing his job and called the police....we need to not jump to judgement...what would you do if trayvon had jumped on you and started beating the heck out of you and banging your head on the ground and trying to suffacate you...???.....think about it...I know trayvons mom doesnt want to think that her son was trying to harm anyone ...but ..maybe at his age she may not know everything about her son...she only sees her loss...I read a story once where a family took in the killer of their son and helped him...in return the killer changed and was so moved in his life to become dedicated to that family...now that is real christian spirit...instead what i see here...is zimmerman being the whipping boy for all mistakes made and esp regarding race....they feel slighted which wasnt by zimmerman but society ...be careful trayvons family you dont do the wrong thing as it could haunt you the rest of your life....forgiveness is christlike....esp when I think that zimmerman meant no harm to anyone ...he was the one attacked....we dont seem to remember that...
Classic circular logic based on assumptions held as fact. Fact is, we dont know who attacked whom to start the physical part of the story. We do know, however, that Zimmerman loaded his gun, got in his car, drove around looking for a perp, assumed that Trayvon was up to no good, got out of his car and followed the kid (after being told not to), and then after a confrontation the facts of which we do not know, he killed Trayvon. All the other BS thrown around like it is undeniable fact is to be adjudicated in court.
They are both victims of a state of ignorance and paranoia created by sleazy, irresponsible Florida politicians. The real criminals are the gun lobby and the NRA who, for profit, promote people to think it is OK to carry a gun in your pocket so you can kill someone if they do something that you consider threatening.
Who among us think that this is what the founding fathers were thinking when they wrote the 2nd amendment?
tex2c:
Fact is that the law does not require us to know that fact. All the law requires us to know is what the preponderance of the evidence indicates beyond a reasonable person's reasonable doubt.
Everything else you said is right on. Right on.
is there any evidence/testimony that gz ever caught up to tm? i realize gz got out of his car as tm started running - if that is the case, how does a man like gz(short, at least slightly overweight) catch a kid like martin who is tall, thin and athletic?
@Lin Nil
Where on the tape do you hear Zimmerman keep chasing? He stopped when he was told and said that they always get away. Look at the cell phone records off the towers and you can see he turned around and headed towards his car. Martin then came after Zimmerman.
vickie doing is job does not include murdering a kid with skittles and an ice tea, and the whole point everyone is forgetting is that THE KID WAS INNOCENT OF DOING ANYTHING WRONG IN THE FIRST PLACE, ZIMMERMAN MADE A WRONG ASSUMPTION TO CALL 911, AND HE MADE A BAD DECISION TO APPROACH HIM, WHETHER HE WAS ATTACKED OR NOT, HE CAUSED ALL OF THIS AND NEEDS TO DEAL WITH THE RESULTS
so if someone is beating r head into the ground your just gonna take it? shows how much a retard u are
who said zimmerman approached martin? or are you just ASSuming he approached him?
How do you know??? or are you and Jessie making it up as you go? MSNBC sinsationalized the story without knowing anything other that a white man shot a black youth in self defence.
So, Bob, are you saying that Martin chased Zimmerman down the street and dragged him out of his car? LOL! Do you often hear the word "idiot" whispered behind you as you move through the checkout line at Walmart? My guess is "yes."
Larry, Bob, and Michael are at the bottom of the gene pool, it appears, but since they really like each other, I guess we have to allow them to smell each other's butts.
He was a 17 yr.old man. Not a boy. Old enough to be put adult court. Had he been raised right he be home with mommy Not being dump on his father. She has no one but herself to blame for what happen. I guess $$$ means more than having the morale guts to take responsibilty.For not raising your son right. Look into his records. He is not the incent person you and the others where brainwash into believing. My borther was murder by a 16yr.old white punk. It is part of 25 and under.To get in a person face and sucker punch. It is only going to get worst. This was a 17yr.old Man. Not a boy. Get real to the propaganda 101 by this family.
all martins family is doing is setting there selfs up to make money because of his death its bs on there part and they need to have a reality check it seems all the care about is the media attention
Here Here 2+million agree with you on that one.
George Zimmerman's statement was not about being sorry for killing Trayvon Martin. Why should George be sorry for killing an attacker who was trying to bash his head in? He was empathetically sorry for the parents' loss; there was no reason for him to be sorry for kiling his attacker. GZ was 5'8" and 180#; TM was 6'1" and 170#. TM had the reach on GZ, and used it to knock him down. At the point TM should have backed off. TM hit GZ before any gun was drawn, and should not have continued hitting GZ when he was down. GZ had every reason to believe that the attacking TM, who had just bashed him in the face and was in the process of bashing his head against the cement, would kill him or leave him brain dead. Don't take my word: read the facts. Every day as new facts are revealed it becomes more evident that GZ was acting in self defense and feared for his life.
im just wondering where the apology is to the family who lost a wife,a daughter, a sister to a murder when a black woman shot and killed a white woman at point blank range and then ran off with her baby.
where is the national outcry??
where is the continuing national coverage?
And for those of you who want to claim this doesnt compare because the "stand your ground" law...think again. both are crimes,both are murders and both involve people of opposite races and both can be construed as hate race crimes/murders.
The double standard doesnt apply.
Well,
I guess that Jessie and Al did not hear of that story, Hym.
Scott, the difference is one has large support based on a paranoid, evil law promoted by the gun industry and the NRA and the other one doesn't, get it?????
ScottMc-2265788:
It's sitting right under your lazy arse in that chair!
Get up off your lazy lard swine eating arse and take to the streets, the city halls, the justice department, police department, the media and protest for it!!!! Demand it in a civil fashion!
Protest!!! and make you some media coverage to your plight of injustice since you obviously believe in it so much. Enough to put your sloppy joe sandwitch down?
Do something!!! Create some media coverage by standing up for what you believe! Don't just talk.
Lazy slacker! Whiner! Wussy! Push your heavy girth away from the chips and the computer screen and take some action -THE FOUNDING FATHERS COMMAND IT, not all this wussy whining without action crap!
Get up, stand up! Stand up for your rights!
It'll probably take tubs of donuts and swine sandwitches dangled just out of your reach on a stick just to get your lazy heft waddling toward some action. Do something instead of complaining all the time about what others are doing. Do something for yourself instead of moaning hate all the time!!!
larry-5534379
Well you're not doing anything about it, why expect Jesse or Sharpton to have to do your work and theirs too? - America keeps their hands full enough as it is with their specialty, constitutional, civil rights violations on the basis of race.
Do your own work and stop whining about those freedom fighters doing theirs. Do Your Own Work, you lazy slug.
Now you want to bring up what pictures the media is showing, wow Vickie, how about you switch places, and your kid is killed the same way?????? All of us need to forget the media,forget the black and white division and look at what happened, a neighborhood watch person shot and killed a innocent kid, and when I say Innocent I mean at the time he was first spotted wearing a hoodie in the rain returning to his stepmoms home in the same community
He is a 17yr.old man. Not a boy,Not a kid. Old enough and few steps from adult court. Stop being stupid to the propaganda 101. He not the incent kid. Records show that. He just did not get to court yet. School records. 12pcs of women jewlery.
This is a tragedy all around and commenting on guilt or innocence is simply speculation at this point. It appears to me however, that the family's lawyers are working very hard to make anything Zimmerman does point to guilt. Sure that is their job, but it should be held within the bounds of the truth, as they understand it. I fear the media and those who seek to use this case to forward political and social agendas are doing all they can to make this case a spectacle. In my opinion, that does little to help the family mourn the loss of their son, and infact may make healing much more difficult.
I am glad Mr. Zimmerman is facing the court for his actions. I speculate he will be found guilty of man-slaughter for his reckless actions.
My condolences to the family, I wish your son was with you, and that you had never had to endure this loss.
I think parents need to teach their children not to ever hit another individual, especially in Florida where we have a law that allows deadly force to defend yourself, you never know who is packing.
Amen, to that from jesse and al
If parents have the options and a brain, they would take their kids somewhere besides the moron controlled states that encourage a vigilante attitude. I would stake a big wad of bills that Zimmerman wishes he had never heard of "STAND YOUR GROUND!" The gun industry backed NRA is what should be on trial here, not a fool who got caught up in ego and propaganda.
BTW, I am sorry to inform you that the finding that Trayvon hit the fat guy first is still in the courts. But thanks for your racist opinions anyway. LOL
I think parents need to teach their kids to stay away from Floriduh! lol
I am LMOF even more now because Mr. Zimmerman is out on cheap bail, enjoying good food, warm bed and getting laid.
I see the hate filled trash mouths are up to their old tricks. What evil lurks in the hearts of many here.
Pretty funny coming from someone like you freedom-supporter who no doubt wants to see the vicious psycho copkiller mumia abu jamal freed.
freedom-supporter:
Getting laid? Why on earth would you think 'Ole Zimmie's getting laid? -
by all accounts he wasn't even getting none before he went to the clinks, what with all his restraining orders to stay away from women, and beating women up and breaking their ankles in bars, and all the anger management sessions, -
and all his duties as the neighborhood watch captain, -then his job and college course
-when the hell did a woman ever want him, and even if one did, how on earth did he ever have the time?
the fact that he got out of the car bob c-3660180
At this point there is nothing anyone can say or do to comfort them and that is completely understandable, but they are just seeking the attention and trying to build their grounds for lawsuit at this point. As often as blacks kill whites it is never considered a hate crime or racially motivated when in reality that is exactly what it is.
I for one am glad to see Mr. Zimmerman released on bail. At first I to was up in arms that he had not been charged in this. However after hearing more and more I have my doubts. I guess it just goes to show that should all probably wait and just let this be tried in the proper forum, a court of law.
In regards to Mr. Zimmermans apology, I don't think it was insincere. I do believe he is sorry. I don't think he wanted to take that boys life or anyone elses. I do believe he made a poor choice in following the Martin boy. I think things got out of hand and he became frightened and acted without thinking.
As to this boys parents acting with grace, I disagree. This boys mother wasn't suffering so much grief she couldn't make the time to go down to the city offices and file the papers to trademark her dead sons name. God forbid she miss any money she might make off this tragedy. As a mother it's the last thing I would ever think of doing in the face of losing my child. Shame on her!
I sincerely pray that the people of Florida, red, white, black, brown, blue, yellow can put aside their racial prejudice and give Mr. Zimmerman a fair trial based on the facts and not media sensationalism in a court of law where it belongs.
No matter what the out come there are no winners here period.
zimerman admented right onthe stand with his i,m sorry that he did not even know if travan had a weapen? WHY THEN DID HE SHOOT THE BOY. PASS THIS ON!!!!!!!!!
I'm waiting for Trayvon's parents to apologize to Zimmerman for being unfit parents and raising a punk kid and making Zimmerman be responsible for having to handle this punk the way he did...If anything, Trayvon's parents need to step up and accept the facts and ask the prosecutors to drop all charges. THAT would be justice.
Sure dude that makes a lot of since. Kill someone in cold blood and then ask their family to say sorry to you. I waste work time reading a lot of stupid comments, but you may have won the award.
a picture of yourself with a little blood on your face isn't going to save you Zim. Hind sights 20/20 and I bet you wish like hell you listened to that 911 dispatcher and didn't follow Martin. Truth is I wouldn't accept your apology either because you're not sorry, you're just sorry that now your getting in trouble for it. Only pussies and people trying in compensate for their own poor endowment carry guns, ie every cop on the face of the earth. The only person that could have pleaded self defence is dead because you shoot him. I don't blame the kid a bit for punching you in the face for approaching him like you were going to stop him from doing something wrong. But you come up on someone like that, they try to fight back because they are being threathened and you shot because your just another pussy with a gun. Bailing out was a waste of $15,000 for whoever posted your bond. You should have just stayed in jail and had that applied to time served after you are sentenced. Just be thankfull that no one is pursuing 1st degree murder charges so at least you'll get to see the light of day again, unlike the person you killed. NO ONE SHOULD FEEL BAD FOR THIS PEICE OF @!$%#! PS wait till the dudes in prison find out you killed a kid.
Who left you boss and know-it-all what is in Zim's heart? You haven't a clue as to the facts in this case so quit with your emotional bent. You have him convicted - when was the trial? Did I miss it? You sound like a buffoon when you do that, and very unreasonable. Do you know that if a judge believes the Stand Your Ground Law is in play here, there will be NO trial and Zim will walk? it's a good law when followed, and Zim just may have well followed it much to your dismay. Get your panties unbunched and let things play out. Geeeze already. Calm down, turbo.
So if someone you don't know walks up on you when you have every right to be where you are and demands you do something, you have to do what they say. I think we live in a free country buddy. Not sure what you mean by case in point. Gather yourself and try again
I know just as much as you do. and the one thing that we all know is he admits to killing the kid. Everything else could be made up bull@!$%# and the only person that can refute Zims case is dead. So seems like I've got the stronger side of the argument
It was not an apology, it was a ploy setup by the scumbag attorney.
How about we quit collapsing posts by the community??? We all can still read them anyway. Stupid.
All of you Zimmerman supporters are ignoring one simple fact of manhood. That 28 year old bitch couldn't defend himself against one unarmed 17 year old boy. Not 3 or 4 which would have justified deadly force porvided he diddn't instigate the situation but 1 boy. He's a faggott little bitch all of you are too you Mason-Dixie rope sucking swamp rats
And how did you enjoy taking the short bus to school? Ignorant poster. Goodness gracious.
agreed any 28 year old man that needs a gun to fight a 17 year old is a pure pussy
The refussal for the parent to receive an apology is just another attempt to darg out the media attention. Again, this was a terrible thing that happened to Trayvon, but where is ANY similar outrage or media coverage for the many white victims that are not only shot but raped and brutalized in the process.
This all reminds me of all the media Michael Jackson got after his death. He liked small boys and chose to sleep with them. The many lawsuits were settled out of court due to his massive wealth. Some might call him a Pedifile, but still he was IDOLIZED in the press. I am sure that the libtards will label such comments as racist, since that term is the catch all for anyone that criticizes the stranger that is temporarily in the white house.
As to the persons still trying to say that Zimmerman is a murderer, at least learn the facts of the case before Jessie Jackson and Al Sharpton begins their next Jitterbug Dance.
its a black thing
Is that the type of stuff you tell you daughter to keep her from dating black guys?It wont work trust me.You can scare her all you want, she still gonna find us.lol
ScottMc-2265788
im just wondering where the apology is to the family who lost a wife,a daughter, a sister to a murder when a black woman shot and killed a white woman at point blank range and then ran off with her baby.
where is the national outcry??
where is the continuing national coverage?
And for those of you who want to claim this doesnt compare because the "stand your ground" law...think again. both are crimes,both are murders and both involve people of opposite races and both can be construed as hate race crimes/murders.
The double standard doesnt apply.
First I want to say, their is no evidence it was a hate crime, and the difference is, SHE WAS ARRESTED.
Zimmerman said f@#ng coons, and HE WASNT ARRESTED. THIS IS ONLY NATIONAL NEWS BECAUSE HE WASNT ARRESTED FOR KILLING A KID WITH SKITTLES, there was no home invasion, or attempted robbery, whites can kill blacks without it being a hate crime, if zimmerman was arrested and got off, no problem because no one knew what happened, but he wasnt even arrested or spent a week in jail
first, he was taking in for questioning and released when they found it was a self-defense act. but later arrested under pressure by the black community, so both parties were arrested for their crimes.
second, we dont know if the texas woman killing was a hate crime or not, there is no coverage.
Maybe it is because it was self defense... maybe. If I had a gun and some kid that size was beating my head into the sidewalk I would of shot him as well. Oh that's right this kid was an innocent child because everyone in his family and Sharpton say so..
you people are not very smart obviously,all a black man has to do is look close enough like the suspect and he geos to jail.Stop complaining 3/4 of prisons population are black an hispanic people,but were the minority in this country.More whites get arrested,but more minorities get incarcerated,go figure
Blackthought 32
You are just using your race a crutch. Minorities have EVERY opportunity (if not more!) just like everyone else does. Maybe the minorites should stop complaining about all the things everyone else should have done for them and actually just do it themselves.
Not that I have perfect grammar or like correcting people on this but.... When you are going to tell people they obviously aren't that smart, well you should probably use spell-check and have a little bit of grammar check going on. Possibly that is what leads to unemployment and then stealing because you can't find work. Just saying.
@lets have some logic, president obama didnt need to use his race as a crutch to reach the most powerful position in this country,so neither do I.Im just stating the facts bro.Look it up.If your white,how many times have you been racially profiled?Or does that not exist either?
@stop funding illegals
Why waste your time with a post like that?I work everyday friend,your probably on welfare huh?Did you know there are more white people on it than black.Look it up.
1) Obama is pumping all his media juice into this mess to distract all of us from the mess he's put our economy in.
2) The Martins are out for the money and for the denial that it's actually their fault for not raising their dead kid right.
3) $150,000.00 is not "cheap bail"! This cost Zimmerman $15,000.00 out-of-pocket for his bail bondsman's fee, which he will never get back, even after he is found innocent! ...How many of you could afford to give away $15,000.00 to a bail bondsman for keeps??????
Really... you mean like the GOP with their midevil war on women... yeah.. talk about distraction..
...Sorry; I'm just getting tired of all these folks calling it "cheap bail".
...Shiela, how did you offend ned? LOL! And, how is the GOP fighting a "war on women"? And, please forgive me (NOT) for slagging your god Obama. ...Even though he IS a devious, lying dirtbag who ran our economy into the ground.
Ron Paul in 2012!!!!!!
Well, getagrip... The name with both spellings being correct was already taken. So this was one of the options given me. I decided to take it because I thought it might make the spelling nazis crazy. Since they always assume people can't spell instead of thinking that maybe they just don't type well. It's funny to see how people assume so much. Kind of like the rest of your comment about Obama. Funny, I did not mention Obama. Never said a word. I only mentioned the other side of the coin in response to the other comment, and call Obama "my God". There is that assumption again. Oh and by the way. The wallstreet housing garbage, the bank bailouts, our economy was already in the ground. They just handed over the keys and said see.. he did it. And if you don't know how the GOP is waging war on women.. pay attention. Or just read up on Santorum. He pretty much sums up a lot of it.
Teach A. Lesson.... yep.. his daddy is a judge,.. he had plenty of help..
Thats what he gets for killing somebody.Shouldve took the a** whipping like a man. True trayvon got the worst of it because he's dead,but if i gotta go out i wanna go out swinging too.Obama ran our economy in the ground?You know there were 43 presidents before him right?All white,so they couldnt have done anything wrong because white people are so trustworthy an honest in all their dealings.YEAH RIGHT!
What happened here is that the police told this man not to approach because they were coming... Charles Bronson lives in the movies not real life. This woman lost her child and Zimmerman may have had the right intentions when he said he was sorry, but what were his intentions AFTER the police told him that they were on the way and not to approach? AGAIN, Charles Bronson lives in the movies...
...Bronson would not have called the cops.
The police didn't tell him not to approach Martin. The dispatcher did. It would be like me saying stop posting ignorant posts. It means nothing and you don't have to listen to me. (although I feel like you should)
im just wondering where the apology is to the family who lost a wife,a daughter, a sister to a murder when a black woman shot and killed a white woman at point blank range and then ran off with her baby.
where is the national outcry??
where is the continuing national coverage?
And for those of you who want to claim this doesnt compare because the "stand your ground" law...think again. both are crimes,both are murders and both involve people of opposite races and both can be construed as hate race crimes/murders.
The double standard doesnt apply.